After a crack of dawn kick-off, we
flew from
Santiago
with the sun rising spectacularly on the way and amazing vistas of mid-Chile
before the clouds set in
We arrived in
Punta Arenas to be met for the 3 hour drive
to Puerto Natales which was very interesting, passing through the Patagonian
ranch areas with a few lakes, one of which had flamingos on it, but too far
away for a good photo. The distant hills became mountains as we reached Puerto Natales,
which is situated on the Esperanza fjord that leads out to the Pacific (miles
away!), and our cosy hotel room has a glorious view of the water and passing
ducks, swans and seabirds.
Once unpacked and sorted, we
walked into the town, a lovely walk along the water’s edge admiring the
long-necked swans, Imperial (not just yer ordinary) cormorants,
plovers, lots of ducks, and
loving the (very) fresh breeze and the
stunning views. The sky here is just HUGE – why is that?
The town itself is a one horse
place, with limited attractions, but as Lonely Planet so succinctly says “ it
has become a clattering hub of Gore-tex clad travelers” and it will soon become
more like its Argentian neighbour, the lively town of
El Calafate, 300k away. We had a good look
round the town, sorting out our plans for the next 3 days, then had an aperitif
and headed back under glorious skies for dinner back at the hotel:
Try as we did, we couldn’t keep
our eyes open till sunset which is 10.35pm!
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